Welcome to therapy first

Psychotherapy as first-line treatment for gender dysphoria

We’re here to help.

The purest form of listening is to listen without memory or desire.

Wilfred Bion

Therapy First is a U.S. based non-profit organization and international professional association of mental health providers dedicated to offering developmentally informed psychotherapy as the first-line treatment for youth gender dysphoria.

Our mission is to advance the field of mental health in this area and to raise the standard of care for children, adolescents, and young adults experiencing gender dysphoria by supporting and training clinicians, conducting research, and offering public education on mental health and psychotherapy.

Start here

Therapy First exists because we see a great need arising from the current oversimplification and politicalization of gender dysphoria in the field of mental health.

Therapists

Join a professional association of mental health providers who view psychosocial support and a whole person approach as the appropriate front-line treatment for gender-related concerns.

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Clients & Families

If you or someone you care about is suffering from gender-related distress, we offer compassionate and evidence-based resources and can help connect you to a mental health provider.

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Transition-Related Grief

We offer resources and information for those who experience grief related to medical transition, including therapists experienced in working with people who choose to detransition.

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Join Therapy First

Therapy First’s professional association is open to licensed mental health providers. Once you become a member, you’ll join a community of over 300 professionals worldwide who actively support one another in exchanging ideas and sharing resources.

You’ll also gain access to weekly peer supervision groups, get discounts to Therapy First webinars and trainings, and have the opportunity to list your practice on a public directory of psychotherapists.

Featured webinars

Therapy First provides a range of trainings for mental health clinicians working with young people who are questioning their identity.

A Social History of Estrogen and Testosterone

Monday August 11th
at 4pm EDT

This webinar will review the history of what people have believed about estrogen and testosterone, how they acted on those beliefs, how those beliefs changed over time, and how we arrived at the beliefs commonly held today. Drawing from his book, Sex Science Self: A Social History of Estrogen, Testosterone, and Identity, Bob Ostertag will trace the often overlooked story of how estrogen and testosterone became powerful pharmaceutical tools, and how they came to be deeply entangled with ideas of gender and sexuality.

Learning Objectives:

  • The long history of medical scandals involving estrogen and testosterone
  • The ways estrogen and testosterone have been used to treat homosexuality
  • The ways estrogen and testosterone have been seen and used by the LGBT community
  • The role of estrogen and testosterone in the creation of Big Pharma

Presenter Bio:

Bob Ostertag is an author, musician, and filmmaker whose interdisciplinary work spans journalism, music, and social issues. He is the author of Sex Science Self: A Social History of Estrogen and Testosterone, among six other books, and began his career reporting on the civil war in El Salvador in the 1980s. As a composer and performer, he has collaborated with artists such as the Kronos Quartet, John Zorn, and Justin Vivian Bond, and has performed at major venues including Lincoln Center and the Shanghai Conservatory. He directed the documentary Thanks to Hank and was a founding member of the media collective The Yes Men. His recent work includes podcasts on poverty and queer oral history, along with volunteer efforts with grassroots organizations in Mexico and Indonesia.

 

Therapy First has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7505. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Therapy First is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This webinar provide 1.5 hours of CE credits.

Download Therapy First’s free Clinical Guide for Therapists Working with Gender Questioning Youth. Developed by a team of clinicians with expertise working with gender dysphoric youth and their families, our clinical guide offers mental health providers an introduction to working with this growing population based on the latest research and a solid understanding of psychotherapeutic best practice.

Find a Therapist

We help prospective clients connect with therapists who agree with the tenets of Therapy First’s membership statement.

You can find out more about individual practices by clicking in and viewing their profile.

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